Scary incident leaves Andrew Fifita in hospital with trouble breathing

Cronulla forward Andrew Fifita remains in a Brisbane hospital after a frightening incident in Sunday's match against Newcastle that left him struggling to breathe properly.

Fifita had trouble swallowing and was rushed to hospital after copping a hit to the throat during his side's 16-14 NRL loss to the Knights at Redcliffe.

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Around 20 minutes after the game ended, Fifita was brought out of the dressing sheds and onto the field where he was examined by medical staff.

Fifita could be seen lying on the ground near the fence to the stands being treated by paramedics, before he was whisked away to hospital in an ambulance.

The Sharks confirmed that Fifita had suffered a significant laryngeal injury and was undergoing further treatment in hospital.

“The Sharks can confirm that Andrew Fifita suffered an injury to his throat, following an incident early in the second half of today’s match against Newcastle,” the club statement read.

“After the match Andrew reported difficulty swallowing. He was also noted to have a hoarse voice at this time and his care was escalated to the paramedics with a suspected laryngeal injury.

“He was taken via ambulance to hospital, where a significant laryngeal injury was confirmed.

“Andrew remains in hospital, where he is receiving the best possible care. The Sharks will provide further updates when they become available.”

Fifita's wife Nikki has been by the forward's side as he receives care.

The 32-year-old played just 13 minutes of the game, coming off in the 39th minute for a head injury assessment after colliding with Kurt Mann's shoulder while taking a hit-up.

Loss compounds misery for Cronulla

He was cleared of a head injury in the sheds at halftime, but was taken off the field again in the 46th minute and did not return.

It follows a heartbreaking loss to the Knights that has left the 10th placed Sharks scrambling to make finals with three rounds to play.

The Sharks face Wests Tigers, Brisbane and Melbourne, needing to win all three to be assured of a spot in the top eight.

"We've just got to front up next week with the same attitude ... our attitude is first-class," said coach Josh Hannay after the game.

"They're a good footy side Newcastle.

"We've got a patched up footy team.

"There's a lot to be said about fronting up with the right attitude.

"We'll add some polish and finesse to our game and these tight losses will become wins."

with AAP

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